Heavy rain floods roads, triggers massive traffic jams across Capital
Incessant torrential rains on Wednesday left large parts of the city waterlogged and traffic jammed for hours. Pedestrians were seen wading through knee-high water in low-lying areas, and long queues of vehicles formed on several stretches as movement slowed to a crawl during peak times.
The problem was compounded when many two-wheeler riders took shelter under elevated metro corridors, creating bottlenecks and hampering traffic flow.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said cumulative rainfall recorded till 8.30 am stood at 14.2 mm at Safdarjung, 19.2 mm at Palam, 17.8 mm at Lodhi Road, 54.3 mm at Ridge, 37.6 mm at Ayanagar, 18.6 mm at Rajghat, 44.5 mm at Pusa, 85.5 mm at Najafgarh and 24.5 mm at Mayur Vihar.
Traffic congestion was also reported at the ITO intersection. Commuters faced delays on Ring Road, Outer Ring Road and National Highway 48, particularly near Dhaula Kuan, Mahipalpur and Rajokri due to reduced visibility and waterlogging.
Vehicular movement was also affected on Mathura Road near Ashram, the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway, Zakhira flyover, Moti Nagar, Patel Nagar, Naraina, AIIMS, South Extension, Lajpat Nagar, Moolchand, Azadpur, Mukarba Chowk and stretches of the Delhi-Noida Link Road.
Civic bodies received at least 10 complaints of rain-related waterlogging, tree-fall incidents and electricity disruptions here. The MCD’s Central Control Room received eight complaints between 2 pm and 6 pm, including four related to tree falls and four on waterlogging.
Between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, Safdarjung recorded 26.0 mm of rainfall, Palam 27.9 mm, Lodhi Road 30.0 mm, Ridge 11.8 mm, Ayanagar 22.2 mm, Rajghat 10.1 mm, Pusa 30.5 mm, Najafgarh 38.0 mm and Mayur Vihar 26.5 mm. Complaints of two tree-fall incidents were reported from the Karol Bagh zone: One near Vandan Vihar Light Flats in Paharganj and another near Shadipur Metro Station. One complaint each was also received from Sector 10, Dwarka, and Nangloi in the Narela zone.
Among the waterlogging complaints received by the MCD, one was reported in Shahbad Dairy under the Rohini zone, while the others were from Pocket-14 Moonlight Apartments in Sector 20, Narela, B-226, Sector 8, Dwarka, and House No. 22, Pocket 2, Sector 22, Rohini. Officials said the complaints were received through the Monsoon app and the centralised call centre and were assigned to field officials for action.
Traffic police personnel were deployed at major intersections to regulate traffic and clear congestion, while civic agencies worked to drain water from affected stretches. Authorities advised commuters to avoid waterlogged routes, maintain a safe distance between vehicles and check traffic updates before heading out.
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), which oversees the Lutyens’ Delhi area, separately reported two waterlogging complaints by the afternoon.
Traffic Police Identify 169 Waterlogging Hotspots across capital
New Delhi: Following two days of heavy rain that triggered traffic congestion at several key stretches, the Delhi Traffic Police identified 169 waterlogging-prone traffic hotspots across the national capital and implemented a comprehensive monsoon preparedness plan.
The officer said widespread traffic snarls plagued the city over the past two days as persistent rainfall slowed vehicular movement across several arterial roads, including ITO, Rohtak Road, NH-48, Ring Road, Punjabi Bagh, and Shadipur. Low-lying areas also experienced water accumulation, which affected traffic flow during peak hours.
A senior officer said the department completed preparations before the onset of the monsoon by identifying locations that have historically experienced waterlogging and traffic bottlenecks.
“A total of 169 traffic hotspots vulnerable to waterlogging have been identified across Delhi. Adequate traffic personnel have been deployed at these locations to ensure smooth movement of vehicles and immediate response in case of water accumulation,” the officer said. He said the Delhi Traffic Police is maintaining constant coordination with civic agencies responsible for drainage and road maintenance to ensure that waterlogging is cleared at the earliest. The officer said fixed water pumps have been installed at designated vulnerable locations in coordination with the concerned agencies.
Arrangements have also been made to deploy mobile pumping units wherever required. He said all Traffic Inspectors (TIs) have been instructed to stay in touch with designated contact persons from civic agencies so that any complaint relating to waterlogging can be addressed without delay.